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He had never raised a hand to discipline Jude or her sisters, even when they got into big trouble He wouldn’t hurt anyone He just wouldn’t

And yet And yet

The axe went past the tallinto the wood trim of the door

Tarynnoise and slapped her palms over her mouth

The tall man drew a curved blade from beneath his leather coat A sword, like fro to pull the axe free froed the sword into Dad’s sto it upward There was a sound, like sticks snapping, and an animal cry Dad fell to the vestibule carpet, the one Mom always yelled about when they tracked mud on it

The rug that was turning red

Mom screamed Jude screa, except the tall man

“Co directly at Vivi

“Y-youtoward the kitchen “He’s dead!”

“Do not run from me,” the ain, I swear I—”

But she did run She was almost around the corner when his blade struck her in the back She crunets off the fridge

The smell of fresh blood was heavy in the air, like wet, hotpan when stuff was really stuck on

Jude ran at the s She wasn’t even scared She wasn’t sure she felt anything at all

Theh he couldn’t quite believe what he’d done As though he wished he could take back the last five ht hold of Jude’s shoulders He pinned her arms to her sides so she couldn’t hit hi at her

His gaze was on Vivienne

“You were stolen from me,” he told her “I have come to take you to your true home, in Elfhame beneath the hill There, you will be rich beyond measure There, you will be with your own kind”

“No,” Vivi told hi anywhere with you”

“I’ like the crack of a lash “You are my heir and s”

She didn’t move, but her jaw set

“You’re not her father,” Jude shouted at the h he and Vivi had the same eyes, she wouldn’t let herself believe it

His grip tightened on her shoulders, and shesound, but she stared up defiantly She’d won plenty of staring contests

He looked away first, turning to watch Taryn, on her knees, shaking Mo to wake her up Mo to ain

“I hate you,” Vivi proclailad of “I will always hate you I vow it”

The e “Nonetheless, you will coht We ride before dark”

Vivienne’s chin came up “Leave them alone If you have to, take me, but not them”

He stared at Vivi, and then he snorted “You’d protect your sisters froo?”

Vivi didn’t answer They had no grandparents, no living family at all At least, none they knew

He looked at Jude again, released her shoulders, and rose to his feet “They are the progeny of my wife and, thus, my responsibility I may be cruel, a monster, and a murderer, but I do not shirk my responsibilities Nor should you shirk yours as the eldest”

Years later, when Jude told herself the story of what happened, she couldn’t recall the part where they packed Shock seemed to have erased that hour entirely Sos, must have put in their favorite picture books and their raphs and pajamas and coats and shirts

Or maybe Jude had packed for herself She was never sure

She couldn’t i downstairs She couldn’t iine how it had felt, and as the years went by, she couldn’t ain The horror of the murders dulled with time Her memories of the day blurred